Babysitting
by LittleMissMusic1993
Summary: A big surprise is coming to Dillydale: Mr. Grumpy has a brother! And his brother is leaving his daughter to stay with Mr. Grumpy! Just how badly could this end?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Mr. Men Show or any of its characters. But I do own a couple of characters in this story and the idea that Mr. Grumpy has a brother and a niece.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this story!**

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"Thanks again for babysitting, little brother." A Mr. Man, who looked a lot like Mr. Grumpy stood in front of him with an expressionless look on his face, and he spoke in a monotone voice. Instead of blue, like his brother, this Mr. Man was a dark red color and his dull eyes made it seem like he was permanently bored. He blinked a few times, staring at Mr. Grumpy as the younger sibling let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't see why I have to watch her," the blue Mr. Man complained and not for the first time. Ever since his brother asked him for this favor, he's been trying to get out of it. "She's ten," he continued. "Can't she stay home by herself?"

The red rectangle shook his head. "Nah-ha," he replied. "I'm going away for a whole week. She can't stay home alone for that long. Besides," he added, trying to put on a cheerful smile, but it seemed like all his expressions were emotionless," she's never met her uncle before."

Mr. Grumpy sighed again. "Why can't she visit another relative?" he questioned in an annoyed tone. "I don't want a little kid running around. I just cleaned my house."

"She won't make a mess; I promise."

"Fine. But you owe me big time, Mr. Apathy." Finally, Mr. Grumpy gave in. He let out a groan and then asked," Where is she?"

As if his brother's words surprised him, Mr. Apathy turned around but there was no sign of his daughter. "Dunno," he replied, glancing at Mr. Grumpy. "She was just here. Miss. Aloof?" he called out. "Miss. Aloof, where are you?"

The young Little Miss sat on the other side of her father's car, listening as the grownups said her name over and over again like they expected her to come out of hiding. But she stayed where she was, hoping they wouldn't find her. If she could, she'd turn invisible and walk right past them so she didn't have to stay with her uncle.

Little Miss Aloof was the same color and shape as her father, just a lot smaller and she had short, black hair. Unlike Mr. Apathy, it was easy to tell what she was feeling by the deep frown on her face as she stared down at her sneakers.

 _I didn't want to come here,_ she remembered, sighing to herself. More than anything, she wanted to be back in her room with headphones in, letting the loud music play in her ears. She'd escape this world and go off into a daydream where it would just be her. There wouldn't be anyone there to tease her or shun her out. She would be happy in her own little world.

But Mr. Apathy had taken her phone away, insisting that it would do her some good to get out and talk to people. Little Miss Aloof knew he loved her and was doing everything he could for her– she imagined it wasn't easy being a single parent. But couldn't he see that nobody wanted to be her friend? The other kids were mean to her, either making fun of her for one reason or another, or simply pretending she wasn't there. Even some of the adults didn't like her. She wished her dad would stop forcing her to interact with others because it only ended with her getting hurt.

Suddenly her vision became blurry, and when she blinked again, tears started falling from her eyes, rolling down her face. She pulled her legs closer to her and buried her head in her knees. She just wanted to be alone, but her father didn't seem to understand that, and if her own family didn't understand her, then who will?

Farther down the road, a couple of Mr. Men were walking along the sidewalk, glancing around curiously. But the streets were empty; there was no sign of any of their friends.

"Where is everyone?" the light green Mr. Man finally spoke up, and he looked down at his little buddy, confusion in his eyes.

His smaller friend shrugged. "Perhaps they are all busy?" he guessed, but he was just as baffled as the other Mr. Man. Usually the streets were full of people.

Mr. Nosy opened his mouth to respond to his friend, but before he could get a word out, something caught his attention, and he came to a halt. At first Mr. Small kept going; then he realized that the light green Mr. Man wasn't beside him anymore.

Returning to him, Mr. Small blinked up at his best friend. "What's wrong?" he asked, not understanding why he had stopped.

"It looks like Mr. Grumpy has company," Mr. Nosy replied, and he pointed to something behind Mr. Small, who turned around to see what he was talking about. He was surprised to find himself looking at a green and brown station wagon parked in front of Mr. Grumpy's house.

"That's odd," the small Mr. Man murmured. "I don't remember ever seeing that car before."

"Me neither." Suddenly Mr. Nosy's eyes lit up as he suggested," Why don't we go see who it is?"

Mr. Small smiled. After spending most of the morning bored, they finally found something interesting to do. "Great idea, Nose!" he praised his friend, who grinned down at him.

The two started heading to Mr. Grumpy's house, only to pause when they noticed a young Little Miss sitting alone by the car. They shared a confused look, both wondering who she was. Then they turned back to look at her again, seeing that she now had her face buried in her legs and her whole body was trembling. Was she crying?

"I wonder what's wrong with her?" Mr. Nosy murmured curiously, and he followed his best friend over to her after Mr. Small said that they should go check on her.

Shadows fell on Little Miss Aloof, and she froze, her heart starting to beat faster with fear. She wasn't sure what to do at first, but finally she was able to glance up to see two strangers standing over her, one big and light green, and the other one smaller and orange. They were smiling down at her.

Startled by their sudden appearance, the young Little Miss screamed and jumped to her feet.

They both took a step back, looking anxious.

The small one opened his mouth as if to say something, but before he could, Little Miss Aloof's father and uncle came running around the car.

Wanting to get away from the unknown Mr. Men, she ran to Mr. Apathy and hid behind him. Her father placed a hand on her head in an assuring way before looking back at the strangers. "Who are you?" he demanded in that same dull voice he always spoke in.

It was Mr. Grumpy who answered. "Nobody important," he muttered. He turned to the newcomers. "Mr. Nosy, Mr. Small, this is my brother, Mr. Apathy." Then he gestured to the kid. "And that's my niece," he added, sounding like he had to force himself to admit that.

The best friends shared a surprised look before turning back to Mr. Grumpy. "You never told us that you had a brother," Mr. Nosy remarked, his eyes huge.

Mr. Small was about to agree, but suddenly the events of last Christmas flashed in his mind. He remembered how Mr. Grumpy had been really down and they tried to do everything they could to cheer him up, eventually convincing him to join the party at Mr. Happy's house. He thought back to the picture the grumpy Mr. Man had been looking at, recalling seeing a kid who looked a lot like the red Mr. Man who stood beside Mr. Grumpy right now.

 _So that_ was _his brother,_ the small man realized. At the time he wasn't sure, and since they had been on the subject of Mr. Grumpy's mother, he didn't want to question him about any other family members.

Mr. Small's gaze switched to the Little Miss, noticing that she staring at the ground and shifting her feet like she was uncomfortable. He walked over to her and offered her a smile.

Little Miss Aloof blinked at him, still not sure what to make of him, but it was clear that he was trying to be friendly. "What's your name?" the small Mr. Man asked her.

Instead of answering, the young Little Miss threw her father's arm around her and buried her face in his side so she didn't have to make eye contact with anyone.

"Come on, Miss. Aloof," her father said as he pushed her toward Mr. Small. "You need to learn how to talk to people."

 _But I don't want to talk to them!_ Little Miss Aloof thought, just barely stopping herself from saying that out loud. Despite how everyone else treated her, she didn't like being rude and mean to others if she could help it. "H-Hey," she stammered, shifting her eyes sideways so she wasn't looking at the small Mr. Man. "I'm Miss. Aloof."

"It's nice to meet you." The friendly tone in his voice made Little Miss Aloof turn back to him. His eyes were kind and there was a smile on his face as he tipped his hat to her in a welcoming way. He still had patience with her even after she had screamed when they just showed up out of nowhere and even though she refused to talk to him until her dad made her.

She was used to being treated differently. Whenever she tried to make friends with other kids because Mr. Apathy told her to, they usually got annoyed with her when they found out that she didn't talk much and that people made her really nervous. But this Mr. Man wasn't like all the rest, she realized. For the first time in her whole life she felt comfortable around someone other than her father.

Little Miss Aloof was knocked out of her thoughts when Mr. Apathy suddenly announced," Well, I should be going. I have a long trip ahead of me," he added, and then he turned to his brother. "I'll be back in a week."

Mr. Grumpy sighed but nodded. He watched as Mr. Apathy walked to the driver side of his car.

For a terrifying moment Little Miss Aloof realized that he was leaving her here with people she didn't know, and considered running after him and begging him to take her with him. But then she became aware of the small Mr. Man beside her, and she remembered how friendly he had been. Suddenly she didn't mind staying here if it meant she could spend more time with him.

"So, she's staying with you?" Mr. Nosy asked, turning to Mr. Grumpy when the station wagon disappeared down the road.

Mr. Grumpy crossed his arms. "Yeah, I guess," he muttered, not sounding thrilled about that one bit.

But Mr. Small obviously felt differently than the grumpy Mr. Man. He had a huge grin on his face as he declared," That sounds fun!"

 _He's so cheerful,_ Little Miss Aloof thought as she smiled for the first time since her father told her that she was going to stay with her uncle. She was used to being around Mr. Apathy who seemed to only have one expression and the kids who bullied and teased her. It was refreshing to see someone happy and friendly for a change.

 _I guess not everyone's so bad,_ she told herself.

As his niece thought about the small Mr. Man and how nice he was, an idea suddenly struck Mr. Grumpy as he stared at the best friends in front of him. "Can you do me a favor?" he asked them, forcing a smile so they didn't suspect that he was up to anything.

"Sure," Mr. Small responded while Mr. Nosy inquired," What kind of favor?"

Little Miss Aloof heard what her uncle said, and she blinked up at him, wondering what he was about to ask these Mr. Men.

Pushing the young Little Miss toward the friends, he suggested," Why don't you two show her around town?" When they looked confused, he added," I would do it, but unfortunately my home is mess right now and it's going to take all day to clean it. I don't want her to be bored while I'm doing that."

 _Didn't you tell my dad that you just cleaned?_ Little Miss Aloof questioned in her head, remembering what she had overheard the grownups saying. Then she realized what was really going on. _He's trying to get rid of me. My own family doesn't even like me..._

First Mr. Apathy leaves her here with uncle even after she begged him not to, and now Mr. Grumpy was handing her over to a couple of Mr. Men she didn't know.

"We'd be honored to be her tour guides," Mr. Small responded to Mr. Grumpy, and he smiled up at Little Miss Aloof as he tipped his hat to her again.

The Little Miss wasn't sure what to feel. It seemed like complete strangers were more welcoming than her own family. So why should she try to fight to stay somewhere she was clearly not wanted? Without another glance in her uncle's direction, she started walking away.

Mr. Nosy and Mr. Small shared a quick look before turning to Mr. Grumpy, but when he didn't say anything, they decided to just follow the young Little Miss.

The blue Mr. Man stared after his niece, briefly wondering if he did the right thing. But he didn't worry about it too much. He knew she would be safe with the best friends, so he just shrugged and went back into his house to watch his fishing show.

When the Mr. Men caught up to Little Miss Aloof, they walked on either side of her. "You're going to love it here," Mr. Nosy told her, excitement in his voice.

Mr. Small nodded in agreement. "Dillydale is a wonderful place," he insisted. "There's tons of things to see, and everyone is so nice. And there's even–"

His voice faded to the back of Little Miss Aloof's mind. Once again, she wished that she was home, alone in her room, listening to music. The joy of meeting someone nice for a change went away when her uncle pawned her off like she was an unwanted object.

With a soft sigh, she continued to follow the friends, just barely noticing that now they were talking to each other as the Little Miss tagged along behind.

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 **Please review! No flames please!**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Mr. Men Show or any of its characters, but I do own a couple of characters I made for this story.**

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Dillydale was a lot bigger than Little Miss Aloof had first thought. When her dad was driving here, he had used the quickest route that took them straight to her uncle's house. But now the friends were showing her everything they missed: The Train Station; The Bowling Alley; The Cinema; The Amusement Park. And countless restaurants that only made her hungry, but she never got the chance to ask them if they could stop to eat because by the time she pulled her eyes away from the delicious looking food, they were already moving on to the next thing.

They even ducked into a Hobby Shop where she met a magenta Mr. Man, who seemed to be really good friends with her tour guides.

"Hi, Mr. Nosy! Hi, Mr. Small!" he greeted them as soon as they walked through the door. Little Miss Aloof followed them, but he didn't seem to notice her which honestly didn't bother her that much. She was used to being invisible.

The best friends shared an amused look before turning back to the other Mr. Man. "Hello, Mr. Scatterbrain," the light green Mr. Man said to him, and then Mr. Small pointed to the Little Miss beside them and told him," This here is Miss. Aloof. She's Mr. Grumpy's niece," he added in a whisper as if that was suppose to be a secret.

The moment he heard what the small man said, Mr. Scatterbrain's eyes widened in surprise. "Mr. Grumpy has a niece?" He jumped over the counter and landed right in front of Little Miss Aloof, who backed up a little, suddenly very nervous.

She would have been fine with not being noticed at all, but the friends just _had_ to say something. For a moment she felt resentment toward them, though she quickly pushed it away, telling herself that it would be weird if they walked her around town without introducing her to any of their friends, even if that's what she wished they would do. She had only agreed to come with them because her uncle didn't want her around.

"H-Hey," she stammered out, lowering her gaze, but she could still feel the magenta Mr. Man staring at him, and she silently willed him to look away.

Mr. Scatterbrain blinked at the young Little Miss. "I didn't know Mr. Grumpy had a niece." He tried to catch her eye, but it seemed like she refused to look at him. He wondered why.

"We didn't either," Mr. Nosy responded, and Mr. Scatterbrain glanced at him before turning back to the Little Miss.

For awhile nobody said anything. Then Mr. Small spoke up. "I thought he might have a brother," he confessed, and his two friends looked at him in surprise.

Mr. Nosy opened his mouth to ask him how he knew that, but before he could, Mr. Small turned to him. "Do you remember last Christmas when Mr. Grumpy was really upset?" The light green Mr. Man closed his jaws without saying a word and just nodded, curious to see where his friend was going with this. "That picture he was holding, it was of his family," Mr. Small went on," and there was a kid in it that looked a lot like a younger version of his brother."

 _He's never mentioned that before,_ Mr. Nosy thought. "Why didn't you ask him if that _was_ his brother?" he questioned, frowning down at Mr. Small.

The small man shrugged. "At the time we were talking about his mother, and I didn't want to change the subject," he answered. Mr. Nosy opened his mouth again, but once more Mr. Small spoke before he could. "And the reason why I didn't tell you sooner is because I forgot all about it until we met his brother only a little bit ago," he told him as if he could read his mind. Then Mr. Small glanced at the Little Miss. "I had no idea he had a niece though."

 _I'm standing right here!_ Little Miss Aloof thought indignantly.

Crossing her arms, she asked," Can we go?"

The Mr. Men turned to her, seeming startled by her sudden temper, but she couldn't help it. She hated when adults talked about her in front of her like she couldn't hear them. It was insulting to her because it made it seem like they thought she was too stupid to understand their conversation.

"Um… sure," Mr. Small stammered, but when he turned to their magenta friend to say goodbye to him, his voice was steadier. Mr. Nosy waved his farewell to Mr. Scatterbrain, and then the best friends and Little Miss Aloof left the Hobby Shop.

Once outside, Mr. Small started naming places they have yet to see, and as he talked Little Miss Aloof groaned. Her feet was aching from all the walking they've already done, and her stomach felt hollow. Even if she did want to continue her tour of Dillydale, she knew she wouldn't be able to focus on anything until she got some food in her.

"Actually," she interrupted the small man," can we get something to eat first?"

The best friends shared a look before turning back to her. "Of course," Mr. Small replied. "Come to think of it, I am a bit hungry myself. Nose?" He glanced at the light green Mr. Man beside him.

"I could eat," Mr. Nosy responded with a smile.

They took her to a restaurant where each of them gave their order to their waitress. When Little Miss Aloof's bean burger came, she just stared down at it, a little unsure of it at first. Before now, she's never even heard of such a thing. The only reason she got it is because the friends said it was good, and with every bite she took, she realized that they were right. She was even a little disappointed when it was gone, but she was full and didn't think she could eat anymore.

While she waited for her tour guides to get done eating, she picked up her fork and started tracing invisible lines on the table.

"So where to now?" Mr. Nosy asked as soon as he and his best friend finished their meals as well. He turned to Little Miss Aloof, frowning when he saw how bored she looked.

Mr. Small must have noticed too because he asked her," Do you want us to take you back to Mr. Grumpy?"

Almost at once, Little Miss Aloof looked up, eyes huge. "No!" she nearly shouted, surprising the two, and even some nearby people turned to look at them in confusion. She ducked her head as if embarrassed. "I-I mean no," she stammered in a softer voice. "I…" She paused for a moment before announcing," I want to meet more of your friends."

Mr. Nosy hardly believed she just said that. _She didn't seem to want to meet Mr. Scatterbrain,_ he remembered, frowning a little. _She barely even looked at him. Why does she suddenly want to meet more of our friends?_

The light green Mr. Man might be confused about the young Little Miss change of attitude, but Mr. Small understood what was going on with her. _She doesn't want to go somewhere she's not wanted,_ he thought miserably. He recalled how Mr. Grumpy had just handed her over to them like she was an unwelcomed object.

It had been clear that his goal had been to get rid of her, and Mr. Small thought about saying something to him, but with Little Miss Aloof standing right there, he couldn't, so instead he had agreed that they would show her around Dillydale.

 _And that is what we're going to do,_ the small Mr. Man decided. They will keep her distracted until it was time they brought her back.

After leaving the restaurant, the friends started discussing where they should take her next while Little Miss Aloof lingered behind them.

"What about the beach?" the light green Mr. Man asked, blinking down at the small man.

Mr. Small thought for a moment before shaking his head. "We need to take her some place where a lot of our friends will be," he murmured. "Not a lot people will be at the beach this late in the evening."

"How about the park then?"

Little Miss Aloof turned her attention back on the Mr. Men when she heard Mr. Nosy say that. _A park? That could be fun…_ She loved going down to the park not far from her house when nobody else was there. She would put in her headphones and lay in the grass or swing until the sun descended in the sky and she had to go home before her dad began to worry about her.

She started to get excited until she realized she wouldn't be alone this time. And even worse, she wouldn't have her music! She honestly didn't want to meet more people, but she thought anything would be better than going back to her uncle's house.

Telling herself that Mr. Grumpy didn't want her around, Little Miss Aloof followed the best friends along the sidewalk. Soon they left the concrete and walked down a dirt path, finally entering the park at the main entrance.

Almost at once they were greeted by a pair of Mr. Men, and Little Miss Aloof tried hiding behind her tour guides, but they stepped aside and gestured to her.

"This is Miss. Aloof," Mr. Small told the blue Mr. Man and his orange friend. "She's Mr. Grumpy's niece."

 _Here we go again,_ the young Little Miss sighed. She followed Mr. Nosy and Mr. Small to everyone they saw, standing beside them as they introduced her. When she was asked questions, she would answer in short responses. She didn't understand why people seemed so surprised that Mr. Grumpy had a brother and a niece. She remembered that Mr. Scatterbrain had also been shocked to hear that the grumpy Mr. Man was her uncle.

 _Does he not talk about us?_ she wondered as the friends took her farther into the park, passing a fountain. She glanced at it, watching the water as it spouted up then down into the bowl. _The way he acted I knew he must be ashamed of me for some reason, but why doesn't he like his brother? Did something happen between them?_

Footsteps made her look up, realizing that she had stopped beside the fountain and now the friends were walking back to her. They both wore concerned expressions.

"Is something wrong, Miss. Aloof?" the small man asked her while his best friend just stared at her worriedly.

The young Little Miss shifted her feet and lowered her gaze to the ground. Then she looked back up, deciding to tell the Mr. Men what was bothering her. "I was just thinking about my uncle," she confessed with a sigh. "I don't understand why he doesn't want me around. I tried getting out of coming here and now that I know my uncle wants nothing to do with me, I wish I would have tried harder…"

The Mr. Men shared a glance before turning back to her. "I'm sure that's not the case," Mr. Small said carefully. Of course it had been obvious that Mr. Grumpy was trying to get rid of his niece, but the small man didn't want her to think that. "Remember: He said he had things to do around his house. I'm sure if he hadn't been busy, he would have made plenty of time for you." He smiled at her reassuringly.

However Little Miss Aloof just stared at him like she didn't believe a word he said.

For a few moments there was silence. Then Mr. Nosy suggested," Why don't we go see who else is still out?"

Relief washed over Mr. Small. He was thankful for his friend for trying to distract them from this depressing subject. "Great idea, Nose! Come on, Miss. Aloof," he added to the Little Miss, and he stretched out his hand for her.

Little Miss Aloof stared down at it, finally deciding to take it, and let him drag her to more of their friends. The whole time her mind was still whirling with thoughts of her uncle not liking her, and before she knew it, the moment she had been dreading came.

It was time she returned to Mr. Grumpy's house.

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 **Please review! No flames please!**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Mr. Men Show or any of its characters, but I do own a couple of characters I made for this story**

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For the rest of the day, Mr. Grumpy sat at home and watched his fishing show. He was enjoying the peace and quiet, but before long the sun was starting to set. His niece would be back soon and he wasn't happy about that.

 _What do I know about kids?_ he asked himself. He still didn't understand why his brother would leave his daughter with him.

"I trust you," Mr. Apathy had told him over the phone when he first came to Mr. Grumpy with this favor. "There's not much to it. Just make sure she eats and that she's in bed at a reasonable hour. She likes to keep to herself. You won't even know she's there."

 _She wasn't here today._

Once again, he felt bad for pawning her off on the best friends like that, but he panicked. His brother had left her with him even after he told him that he didn't know anything about kids. What else could he have done?

"Watch her, I guess," Mr. Grumpy murmured. For a moment, he regretted what he did. Mr. Apathy trusted him with his daughter, but instead of looking after her like he promised to do, he gave her to the first people he saw.

The guilt didn't last for long though. He quickly reminded himself that he's never taken care of a kid before. He wouldn't know the first thing to do. She was better off with the best friends. Well, at least that's what he kept repeating over and over again in his head to make himself feel better.

 _Am I a terrible person?_ he suddenly questioned, but he was distracted from his self-pity when he heard his door opening and a voice saying," Of course he won't mind. We never knock."

 _Yes, I do mind,_ Mr. Grumpy responded to the light green Mr. Man in his mind. He hated that they always walked right on in as if they thought they were welcomed.

"Well, we better be going home now." Mr. Small was talking to the young Little Miss, but he glanced over at Mr. Grumpy, who was still sitting in his chair. "We appreciated your company today. Goodbye, Miss. Aloof." The small man started walking out the door, followed by his best friend.

Without thinking, Mr. Grumpy jumped to his feet and called after them. They came to a halt and turned to him, Mr. Small looking slightly concerned while Mr. Nosy had a sparkle of interest in his eyes. Mr. Grumpy walked over to them, reaching for his niece's arm as he past her, and he gently pulled her back to them.

"Why don't you take her for the night?" the blue Mr. Man suggested, and he pushed Little Miss Aloof toward the best friends, flashing them an innocent smile. _This is for the best,_ he told himself. _I can't watch her all by myself for a whole week!_

Mr. Small stared up at Mr. Grumpy, just barely aware of his best friend looking confused beside him. _What is wrong with him?_ the small man wondered, frowning a little. _Doesn't he want to spend time with his niece?_

"Nose, can you watch Miss. Aloof while I talk with Mr. Grumpy?" asked Mr. Small, and he glanced at the light green Mr. Man. He noticed how curious he looked, like he wanted to know what was going on, but he only nodded in agreement to what his little buddy said.

 _I'll tell him everything later,_ Mr. Small decided.

Turning back to Mr. Grumpy, the small man gestured into the house. "Please, follow me." He was thankful when the grumpy Mr. Man listened to him without objecting. Mr. Small took him to the bedroom where he knew they wouldn't be overheard, closing the door behind them.

He waited to see if Mr. Grumpy would say anything, but he avoided eye contact and reminded silent.

Finally he decided to be the first one to speak. "Mr. Grumpy?" he asked, and the blue Mr. Man let out a grunt but didn't look up. "Are you okay, Mr. Grumpy?"

"Fine," he muttered.

 _He's lying._ "Mr. Grumpy, you can tell me if something is bothering you." Mr. Small smiled at him. "Maybe I can help you."

Mr. Grumpy didn't respond right away, and Mr. Small thought he might have to push the subject some more. But before he could, the grumpy Mr. Man jerked his head up, fear suddenly flashing in his eyes. "I have no idea what I'm doing!" he admitted hastily.

Surprised, Mr. Small blinked. "About what?" Before those words left his mouth, he realized what his friend meant. He thought back to that morning when Mr. Grumpy asked them to show his niece around town, and just a few moments ago he tried to get them to take her for the night. He remembered the talk they had with the young Little Miss in the park. _She had been so sure that Mr. Grumpy doesn't like her._ At the time he had also believed the same thing, but now he understood why he was acting so unfriendly toward his niece.

"Let's have a seat," he said as he offered him a smile and stretched out his hand. He was glad when Mr. Grumpy took it, and he gently pulled him toward the bed.

As Mr. Grumpy sat on the edge of the bed, Mr. Small climbed up beside him, settling down. "Look, Mr. Grumpy," he started carefully, letting the words flow out as they came to mind," I can see that you're scared, but your brother left her with you for a reason. He believed you can take care of her while he's away. And we do too," he added, knowing that if Mr. Nosy was with them right now he would agree with his best friend.

The room was engulfed in silence as Mr. Grumpy seemed to process everything the small man just said. Finally he asked," But what if I do something wrong? I've never watched a kid before…" His eyes sparkled with worry.

"No one knows what they're doing right away when it comes to kids," Mr. Small told him. He noticed that when he said that an uncertain look flashed across Mr. Grumpy's face. In hopes of reassuring him, he quickly added," It takes time to figure it out. But if you need help, you know where to find it," he went on. "I'm sure anyone in Dillydale will be willing to help you, and Mr. Nosy and I will do everything we can to make it easier on you, but your brother left her with _you_. You need to make more of an effort. At least for her. She's a really nice kid, and I'm sure once you get to know her, the two of you will get along wonderfully."

Mr. Grumpy looked away from the small man, taking in everything he said. _Is he right?_ he wondered. After another moment he sighed and turned back to Mr. Small. "What I did was unfair to her, wasn't it?" he questioned. "I should have gave her a chance instead of asking you to watch her, huh?"

The only response he got was a nod.

Mr. Grumpy sighed again. "I'll try to do better," he promised. He climbed off the bed and started walking toward the door. But he paused halfway across the room and turned around to see Mr. Small right behind him. He swallowed uncomfortably, having to force himself to say the words that just came to mind. "If I feel like I'm overwhelmed, I can call you, right?"

A big grin crossed Mr. Small's face. "Night or day."

In the living room, Little Miss Aloof was stuck listening to Mr. Nosy's seemingly endless questions. She only replied with short answers while she kept her eyes glued on the door to the bedroom where her uncle and Mr. Small had disappeared to.

 _What are they talking about?_ she wondered. _Are they talking about_ me?

A moment later the door opened and the two walked out. Relief washed over Little Miss Aloof and she immediately broke away from Mr. Nosy to go greet them. She was still upset that Mr. Grumpy didn't seem to want her around- she was even more convinced that he didn't like her because he tried to get the best friends to take her for the night. But she was getting tired of Mr. Nosy's questions, and was willing to go see her uncle rather than being asked anything else.

She noticed the soft smile Mr. Grumpy gave her which confused her. _What got into him?_ That was the first time he ever showed her any kind of affection.

Mr. Small's voice broke into her thoughts. "Well, it's getting late," he declared as he walked across the living room to his best friend, who still stood beside the opened front door. "We should be getting home." He shared a knowing look with Mr. Grumpy before walking out of the house. Mr. Nosy followed him, asking him what they talked about, but he closed the door behind them so Little Miss Aloof didn't hear Mr. Small's reply.

Little Miss Aloof was left alone with her uncle. The silence stretched on for what felt like ages until finally Mr. Grumpy cleared his throat. "So," he started slowly, like he was trying to find something to say. "Um… you're in school right?"

The young Little Miss blinked. Was that a serious question? "Um… yeah."

"What grade are you in?"

This was the first real conversation they had since her dad dropped her off here, and it was incredibly uncomfortable.

"5th grade," she answered curtly, and she lowered her gaze to her feet, wishing so much that the floor would open up under her and swallow her whole just to get out of this awkward situation.

Once again there was a long pause. Then Mr. Grumpy asked her," Do you have any interests?"

"Music." Not wanting this to drag out any longer, Little Miss Aloof quickly changed the subject. "Can I go to bed now? I'm tired." She didn't like lying, but she really wanted to get away.

For a moment Mr. Grumpy was silent, and Little Miss Aloof was afraid he'd say no. Finally he sighed and pointed to a door on the other side of the living room. "You can use the guest room while you're here," he told her.

"Thanks." As fast as she could without running, Little Miss Aloof hurried to her room, closing the door behind her. She let out a sigh of relief once she was alone. She didn't know which was worse: Her uncle obviously trying to get rid of her or him attempting conversation with her.

She still had a feeling that he didn't want her around though. He could pretend all he wants, but she could see right through his friendliness. He was like all the rest.

 _Well except for one,_ she thought, suddenly remember how kind Mr. Small has been to her all day. He was there to make her smile when Mr. Apathy was leaving her with her uncle, and he did everything he could to try to get her mind off of Mr. Grumpy not liking her.

"And he apparently said something to him that changed his attitude," she told herself out loud. She didn't feel welcomed at her uncle's house, but she knew someone who would be glad to see her.

Without even a glance toward the bed, Little Miss Aloof walked to the window and opened it slowly, trying not to make a sound. She looked down at the ground, glad to see that it wasn't too far. She climbed out of the window and silently entered the night.

She was a little nervous at first, afraid that her uncle would notice her and call her back. But all was quiet behind her and soon the tan house was out of sight. She relaxed and continued on her way, using the lampposts to light her path. As she glanced around, she suddenly realized that she had no idea where the small man lived.

It just now dawned on her that he never took her in his house. She scanned the area, fighting back panic. She didn't even know if she was still in her uncle's neighborhood. Everything looked so different in the dark!

 _What were you thinking?_ she scolded herself. _Why did you sneak out?_ Maybe if she had asked Mr. Grumpy would have took her to see Mr. Small; or she could have just stayed in her room and waited to see him in the morning. But she didn't think before she acted and now she was all alone with no idea how to get back to her uncle's house.

"Ugh, I'm such an idiot!" Suddenly her father's voice echoed in her head. _If you're ever lost, just retrace your steps._ She remembered him telling her that when they went camping one time and they had wandered off the trail. They had managed to make it back to their campsite by following Mr. Apathy's advice, and Little Miss Aloof decided that's what she was going to do right now.

Turning around, she started down the sidewalk back the way she came. But she didn't get far before she heard a voice calling out to her.

"Hey! Hey, are you lost?"

* * *

 **Please review! No flames please!**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Mr. Men Show or any of its characters, but I do own two characters in this story**

* * *

The voice called from the darkness again. "Are you lost?"

Little Miss Aloof turned around to see an orange Little Miss she didn't know walking to her. But she recognized the Mr. Man who was with her.

 _Mr. Scatterbrain, wasn't it?_ He was the first person the best friends introduced her to.

The two stopped in front of her and started at her questioningly. At first Little Miss Aloof was confused, but then she realized that she never gave the Little Miss an answer.

"Oh, y-yes, I'm lost," she stammered, lowering her gaze and shifting her feet. _How could I have been so stupid?_ she asked herself. Her mind had been full of thoughts of the small man which had drove her to sneak out of her uncle's house to go see him. It didn't occur to her until she was a good distance away that she didn't know where he lived, and now she had no idea how to get back to Mr. Grumpy's house.

 _Has he noticed I'm gone yet?_ she wondered.

"You're Mr. Grumpy's niece, aren't you?" the Little Miss asked her, breaking into her thoughts.

Little Miss Aloof blinked at her. "Um… yeah." How did she know that?

"I'm Miss. Calamity," the orange Little Miss went on. Then she gestured to the Mr. Man beside her. "And I think you know Mr. Scatterbrain. He told me about meeting you earlier today," she added.

 _So that's how she knows me,_ Little Miss Aloof realized.

Mr. Scatterbrain chuckled and waved at Little Miss Aloof.

The young Little Miss forced herself to smile, having very mixed feelings right now. She was glad to see someone who knew their way around, but at the same time she hated talking to people.

There was a short pause where the three of them stood there in awkward silence. "So what are you doing out here this late?" Little Miss Calamity finally asked her.

Little Miss Aloof lowered her gaze, hesitant to tell them, but she didn't want to lie. "I was on my way to Mr. Small's house," she admitted, glancing back up at them. Frowning, she added," But I realized I have no idea where he lives."

After sharing a look with her boyfriend, Little Miss Calamity turned back to the young kid. "Does Mr. Grumpy know where you are?" she questioned even though she already had a feeling that he didn't.

The red Little Miss stared down at her feet and didn't reply, confirming Little Miss Calamity's suspicions.

"Maybe we should take you back to him…" Little Miss Calamity started but was interrupted by the young Little Miss's sudden response.

"No!" she yelled.

Startled, Little Miss Calamity exchanged another glance with Mr. Scatterbrain. _Why doesn't she want to go back?_ she wondered. _Something isn't right…_ "Can you excuse us for a moment?" she asked, turning back to Mr. Grumpy's niece. "Just please stay there, okay?"

The young Little Miss looked confused but nodded in agreement anyways.

Satisfied that she wouldn't go anywhere, Little Miss Calamity reached for Mr. Scatterbrain's hand and pulled him with her. She stopped once they were far enough away so the kid couldn't hear them but still close enough that they could see her. "What do you think we should do?" she asked him.

"About what?" There was a vacant look in Mr. Scatterbrain's eyes which told Little Miss Calamity that he hasn't been paying attention. While most people would find this annoying, the orange Little Miss couldn't bring herself to get upset with her boyfriend.

Quickly she recapped the situation for him. "She obviously doesn't want to go back to Mr. Grumpy," she finished. "But I don't know why. Did she say anything about it when you met her earlier today?"

Mr. Scatterbrain seemed to really think about that for a moment before shrugging which meant he didn't remember.

Frowning, Little Miss Calamity tried to figure out what to do. Just then she recalled something from the story her boyfriend told her about meeting Mr. Grumpy's niece, and she blinked up at the magenta Mr. Man. "You said Mr. Nosy and Mr. Small introduced you to her?" she asked.

This time Mr. Scatterbrain nodded, a smile crossing his face as if he was happy that he was able to help even if it was just a little.

"So they know her," Little Miss Calamity murmured to herself. "If she doesn't want to go back to Mr. Grumpy, maybe we should take her to them. We certainty can't just leave her all alone out here in the dark."

Mr. Scatterbrain nodded in agreement, but Little Miss Calamity wondered if he really understood because he looked distracted again. Shrugging, deciding not to clarify what she had planned to her boyfriend, she returned back to the red Little Miss and smiled at her.

"You said you were trying to find Mr. Small?" she asked her.

Immediately the young kid's eyes lit up at the mention of the small Mr. Man. "Yes!" she answered.

"We can take you to their house if you want," Little Miss Calamity offered, adding to herself, _Then they can decide what to do with her._

The red Little Miss blinked up at her. "Really? Oh thank you!" To Little Miss Calamity's surprise, the kid suddenly ran to her and wrapped her arms around her. A moment later she retreated and bowed her head, clearly embarrassed. "S-Sorry," she stammered.

Little Miss Calamity waved her apology away. "It's okay. Now follow us." With her boyfriend beside her, she started walking away. She looked over her shoulder to see the young Little Miss right behind them. It was then that she realized something. "So," she began," I don't think I caught your name."

"Oh. It's Miss. Aloof."

While the couple took Little Miss Aloof to the best friends, back at Mr. Grumpy's house, the blue Mr. Man paced back and forth in his living room. He had his hands folded behind him and he kept glancing in the direction of the guest room where his niece had retreated to.

Finally he came to a halt. "Did I do something wrong?" he asked himself, utterly confused why she wanted to go to bed so suddenly. "I was just trying to get to know her. Did I upset her somehow?"

He thought back to everything he said. He had asked her if she was in school and what grade she was in, also asking her what her interests were. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what could have possibly upset her so bad that made her feel like shutting herself up in her room.

With a defeated sigh, Mr. Grumpy collapsed in his chair. "Why is this so hard?" he questioned out loud as he rubbed his temple. "No wonder I don't have kids…"

He glanced again at the door to the guest room. "I should go check on her," he murmured. After another moment he pulled himself out of his chair and walked across the living room. He knocked on the door, but there was no reply.

 _Is she asleep already?_ he wondered. He started to go back to his chair, only to pause after taking a few steps. "I should at least peek in to make sure she's okay," he decided.

Cracking the door open, he called out softly. "Miss. Aloof?" Still no answer. Now he was beginning to worry. Something didn't feel right.

Opening the door all the way, Mr. Grumpy gaze over the room. There was no sign of the young Little Miss; the bed was empty. He gasped and searched around frantically, hoping to find his niece, but he didn't.

"What could have happened to her?" He was fighting against the panic that threatened to overtake him. Just then he felt a sudden gust of wind, and he turned around. "The window!" He ran over to it and looked out into the darkness. "But why would she sneak out? Was she really that unhappy here?"

He sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. "What have I done?" If he had been nice to her from the start and tried to watch her instead of giving her away to the best friends, she wouldn't have felt the need to run away. "How am I going to find her? She could be anywhere in Dillydale by now!"

Another thought hit him. "What am I going to tell Mr. Apathy?" Jumping to his feet, Mr. Grumpy started pacing again, his mind racing. "If he finds out that I lost his daughter, he'll never trust me again! I mean, I didn't want to watch her in the first place, but I promised that I would so this is all my fault, especially since I wasn't welcoming to her. Oh, what am I going to do?"

Suddenly he remember the conversation he had with Mr. Small right before the best friends left him alone with his niece. "If I feel like I'm overwhelmed, I can call you, right?" he had asked.

"Night or day," the small Mr. Man had promised.

 _If now is not a good time to call, I don't know when is!_ Mr. Grumpy thought, and he quickly left the guest room, heading straight to his telephone. He dialed their number, praying that they were still up.

The ringing of the phone echoed throughout the observatory, and the best friends poked their heads out of their bedroom. After sharing a confused look, they entered the living room.

"Who could that be this late?" Mr. Nosy wondered as he followed the small Mr. Man. Many names popped in his head, but he didn't know why any of their friends would be calling them right before they were about to go to bed.

Mr. Small shrugged and hopped onto the counter. "Only one way to find out," he said as he reached for the phone. "Hello?" he asked into the speaker. A moment or two went by, then he added," Oh, Mr. Grumpy, it's you. What can we do for you?"

 _Mr. Grumpy?_ the light green Mr. Man echoed in his head. _Why would he be calling this late?_ Before he even finished his thought, he remember what Mr. Small told him on the way back to their house, the conversation the two of them had when he was watching Little Miss Aloof. The small man had promised that if he needed any help that they would be there for him. _Did something happen?_

"Calm down, Mr. Grumpy." His little buddy's voice brought Mr. Nosy's attention back to him. "I'm sure she's okay. Did you check everywhere?" he questioned after a short pause.

 _What's going on?_ Mr. Nosy was about to ask his best friend that when out of nowhere there was a knock at the door.

Mr. Small glanced at Mr. Nosy, who knew he wanted him to go answer it while he continued to talk to Mr. Grumpy. With a nod, Mr. Nosy walked across the living room, his mind whirling with questions. Why was their house so suddenly active? What was happening with Mr. Grumpy? Was Little Miss Aloof okay?

Opening the door, Mr. Nosy was surprised to see his friends standing there. "Oh, Mr. Scatterbrain, Miss. Calamity, hey. What can we do for you?"

Little Miss Calamity stepped aside to reveal a young Little Miss. "She was on her way here," she explained. "But she got herself lost, so we decided to see that she got here safely."

"Miss. Aloof?" The light green Mr. Man blinked in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

Before Little Miss Aloof could answer, Mr. Small appeared beside his best friend, the phone still held to his ear. "Don't worry, Mr. Grumpy," he was saying into the speaker. "She's right here, and she's fine." Another pause. "Of course. See you soon." He hung up and blinked at the young kid. "Why did you run off like that, Miss. Aloof? Mr. Grumpy is very worried about you."

Little Miss Aloof lowered her gaze to the ground and shifted her feet. She didn't say a word.

For a couple of moments there was silence. Finally Little Miss Calamity spoke up. "Well, we just wanted to make sure she got here safe, so we'll be going." She glanced at her boyfriend before the two of them started walking away.

"Thank you!" Mr. Small called after them. Then he turned back to Little Miss Aloof. "Please come in," he invited. "Mr. Grumpy will be here soon to get you," he added as he closed the door when the young Little Miss was inside.

Still she didn't say anything and she avoided looking at them.

The best friends exchanged worried glances. What his little buddy asked Little Miss Aloof stuck with Mr. Nosy. _Why_ did _she run away?_

* * *

 **Please review! No flames please!**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Mr. Men Show or any of its characters, but I do own a couple of characters in this story.**

* * *

"Don't worry, Mr. Grumpy. She's right here, and she's fine."

As soon as Mr. Grumpy heard that, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off his shoulders. _Thank goodness!_ "Can you please watch her until I get there?" he asked the small Mr. Man over the phone.

"Of course. See you soon." A clicking sound told Mr. Grumpy that the call ended, and he hung up as well.

Just knowing where his niece was and that she was safe made him lightheaded with relief for a moment; then he found himself getting confused. _But why did she run off to_ them?

As he was pondering this, he realized that he wouldn't get an answer just standing around. He started heading to the front door, leaving his house behind to enter the darkness of the night.

On his way to the observatory, Mr. Grumpy was wondering how he was going to handle this situation. As the adult, he should at least have an idea of what to do, but he was still very new to all this, and he was just glad she was found before something happened to her. _Should I still punish her though for running away?_ he asked himself.

He sighed. "I'm not good at this," he said out loud. "Why did Mr. Apathy think it was a good idea to leave her with me?"

Finally he arrived at the best friends' house. He knocked on the door and almost immediately it opened. The light green Mr. Man greeted him and invited him inside. Mr. Grumpy walked in, spotting his niece sitting on the couch beside Mr. Small.

She looked up at him, a frown on her face.

Mr. Grumpy knew he should yell at her for making him worry, but he didn't think he could bring himself to do it. Instead he hurried over to her and gently pulled her to her feet, bring her into a tight hug.

"I'm so glad that you're okay," he whispered.

All Little Miss Aloof could do was stand there with her uncle's arms wrapped around her. She was shocked. She had expected a different reaction, namely anger. "You're not mad?" she asked tentatively.

He released the young girl and stared down at her. "Maybe a little," he admitted. "But I'm just really glad to see you safe," he quickly went on. "You had me very worried."

She didn't understand. "B-But don't you hate me?" she forced herself to ask, and she noticed her uncle's eyes growing bigger when she said that.

"Hate you?" he echoed. "What makes you say that?"

Little Miss Aloof lowered her gaze to her feet. "You don't want me around," she said softly. "You think I'm some kind of burden. Why else would you have them take me for the day?" she questioned as she pointed to the best friends who now stood together in the middle of the living room, looking awkward as uncle and niece talked. "You even tried to get them to take me for the night," she continued, turning back to Mr. Grumpy. "I didn't feel welcome at your house, but I knew they would welcome me here. That's why I ran away. I made your job easier for you." As she spoke the last few words, tears started falling out of her eyes and she buried her face in her hands.

Mr. Grumpy stared down at his niece, not sure what to do. She was clearly suffering because of his actions. Guilt nagged at him. "Oh, Miss. Aloof," he started, and he stretched out his arms for her again. But he froze when he saw the best friends watching them.

As if he sensed that the grumpy Mr. Man wanted to be alone with his niece, Mr. Small turned to Mr. Nosy and pointed to their bedroom. "Come, Nose. Let's give them some privacy."

Mr. Nosy frowned but nodded and followed the small Mr. Man across the living room. Mr. Grumpy flashed Mr. Small a grateful look as they passed.

Once it was just them, Mr. Grumpy wrapped his arms around the young Little Miss. "I don't hate you, Miss. Aloof," he assured her. She lifted her head to stare up at him, and he wiped away her tears.

"Then why don't you want me around?" she questioned, confused. If her uncle didn't hate her, why did he seemed so distant? Was that just how her family was? She didn't like it.

Mr. Grumpy sighed and took a step away from her. "I was scared," he confessed.

"Scared?" Little Miss Aloof was even more confused. "Scared of what? I don't understand…"

"I've never taken care of a kid before," he explained. "When your father asked me to watch you for a whole week, I was afraid of doing something wrong, and I was right to worry, because I have. I should have actually watched you like I promised Mr. Apathy I would instead of sending you away with them."

He gestured toward the bedroom, and Little Miss Aloof glanced in that direction to see the best friends peeking out at them. When they realized they had been noticed, they ducked out of sight.

From where they stood in the bedroom, the friends could still hear Mr. Grumpy talking to his niece. "Poor Miss. Aloof," Mr. Nosy murmured.

"Shh." Mr. Small wanted to hear the rest of their conversation.

"I just want to do my best," Mr. Grumpy was saying to the young Little Miss. "I'll try harder from now on; I promise. Please forgive me, Miss. Aloof…"

For a long moment there was silence, and Mr. Small found that he was holding his breath, feeling apprehensive about the answer to come.

 _Please forgive him… He feels awful…_

Finally Little Miss Aloof spoke up. "Okay, Uncle," she said. "I forgive you. I'm sorry for running away," she added.

"Let's not worry about that." There was a short pause before Mr. Grumpy suggested," Why don't we just go home?"

"Okay."

Mr. Small shared a look with his best friend. Then they walked out of the bedroom just in time to see Mr. Grumpy and his niece separating from a hug. Mr. Small smiled at the sight. He was glad they were able to patch things up. He was sure Mr. Grumpy will keep his promise, and he hoped that will make Little Miss Aloof feel more welcome.

With his niece beside him, Mr. Grumpy walked up to them. "Thank you for everything today, but for the rest of her visit, I'm going to try to watch her by myself." He glanced down at the Little Miss.

Mr. Small tipped his hat to him. "Of course. But," he quickly added," our previous offer still stands. If you need any help just call us and we will do what we can. Right, Nose?" he asked his best friend as he turned to him, and Mr. Nosy nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," Mr. Grumpy responded.

Little Miss Aloof looked up from where she stood behind her uncle. She suddenly felt very shy, but she wanted to ask what just came to mind. She cleared her throat and tried not to freak out when everyone turned to her.

"C-Can I still see you?" She lowered her gaze to stare down at Mr. Small. "Can we hang out some more before I leave?" she clarified when the small Mr. Man looked confused.

Relief washed over her when he smiled at her. "Of course," he replied. "There's still more of Dillydale that we need to show you."

 _We,_ she thought, frowning a little when she realized that she meant him _and_ Mr. Nosy. _Well I didn't say just us…_

"We better be getting on home." She turned her attention back on her uncle when he said that. "Come, Miss. Aloof," he added as he started walking toward the front door.

"Goodnight!" Mr. Small called after them. "See you tomorrow, Miss. Aloof!"

Little Miss Aloof looked over her shoulder to see the small man and his best friend waving goodbye to them before closing the door. Then she turned back in front of her. She didn't say anything and her uncle remained silent as well.

It didn't take them long to get back to Mr. Grumpy's house, and Little Miss Aloof realized how she got lost. _Even if I did know where they lived, I went too far and wouldn't have been able to find their house where I was._

Once inside, Mr. Grumpy closed the door and glanced at his niece to see her standing in the middle of the living room. "Do you need anything before we go to bed?" he asked her as he went to join her.

Little Miss Aloof seemed to think about that for a moment. Then she shook her head, and her jaws parted in a yawn. "I think I'm just going to go to bed," she announced, and she started heading to the guest room.

Mr. Grumpy stared after her, uncertainty eating at him. As if she could read his thoughts, she paused and said over her shoulder," I promise I won't run away this time." She continued to hesitate in the doorway before asking," What do you want to do tomorrow, Uncle?"

Her question surprised him. "Um... " He was lost for words for a moment. Then it came to him. "Do you like fishing?"

Her eyes lit up then suddenly turned dark and she looked away. "My dad and mother used to take me fishing," she murmured.

"Oh." Mr. Grumpy frowned, regretting bringing up his favorite hobby. "Um… we can do something else if you want," he quickly went on, wanting to distract the young Little Miss from her mother who has passed on.

To his surprise she shook her head. "No, I like fishing," she insisted. "We can do that tomorrow, if you want."

"Only if _you_ want to." Mr. Grumpy didn't want to take her only for her to be sad the whole time remembering her mother.

"Sure." There was still a little sadness in her tone, but for the most part she looked happy. "Goodnight, Uncle." She turned to leave, only to freeze mid-step when Mr. Grumpy called her back.

"I don't like the name 'Uncle'," he announced as he walked over to her.

She blinked in surprise. "Uncle Grumpy?" she tested, looking a bit uncertain.

Mr. Grumpy shook his head. "No, not that either."

"Then what do you want me to call you?"

"Hmm." Mr. Grumpy thought for a moment. "Why don't you come up with a nickname to call me?" he suggested, half-smiling at her. "Whatever feels right. Take as much time as you need to come up with it."

Little Miss Aloof stared up at him. "Okay, that could be fun. Goodnight, Grumps." She turned to enter her room, murmuring as she went," No, I don't like that."

A smile on his face, Mr. Grumpy went to his own bedroom, making sure to brush his teeth before climbing into bed. As he settled down for the night, his last thought was, _I guess watching her won't be so bad after all._

* * *

 **Please review! No flames please!**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Mr. Men Show or any of its characters, but I do own Little Miss Aloof and Little Miss Music.**

* * *

Someone gently shaking her woke Little Miss Aloof, interrupting the dream she had been having about the small Mr. Man. She let herself feel disappointed for a moment; then she blinked open her eyes. Her uncle was staring down at her.

"Come on, it's time to get up," Mr. Grumpy told her, and he took a step back as she pulled herself out of bed, throwing her legs over the edge and standing up.

Her jaws parted in a yawn. She was still very tired. "What time is it?" she murmured as she stretched in pace to get her blood flowing so she'd wake up faster.

"Six in the morning," the grumpy Mr. Man answered. For the first time Little Miss Aloof saw that he was holding two fishing rods. He handed one of them to her. "Let's get going."

She followed him out of her temporary room, yawning as they entered the living room. _Six in the morning,_ she thought sourly. _I don't even wake up for school this early!_ However she remained silent, and just watched her uncle pull down a floppy green hat from the rack by the front door and replaced his every day hat with the one that had hooks in it.

Then he took the lead out the door, toward his car where Little Miss Aloof noticed that he already packed everything they needed for their fishing trip. She climbed into the passenger seat while he got behind the wheel and started the car.

They drove in silence which was perfectly fine with Little Miss Aloof. She appreciated the attempt he uncle was making to be friends with her, but she was still kinda uncomfortable, not yet used to being around someone other than her father. The Little Miss was feeling homesick. She missed her room. She missed her father. She even missed the kids in her neighborhood who teased her.

Letting out a heavy sigh, she turned to stare out the window, watching trees fly by as the car drove down the road.

"Are you okay?"

Little Miss Aloof jumped. She almost forgot about her uncle. "Yeah," she lied. She continued to stare out the window.

She heard Mr. Grumpy sigh. "Look, Miss. Aloof, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but I want you to like me and I want you to feel like you can tell me anything because you can."

The young Little Miss thought about what he said. Then she turned to look at him. "I'm just… feeling homesick," she admitted. "Dillydale is nice and all, but it's-"

"It's not home," her uncle finished her sentence. "I know how you feel."

Little Miss Aloof widened her eyes, shocked. "You do?"

Mr. Grumpy nodded. "When I first moved here, I missed my old home so much. I still do to this day, but I made _this_ my home so I didn't feel so homesick."

"How did you make here feel like home?"

"I found things to replace the stuff I couldn't bring with me," the blue Mr. Man answered. "I made new memories with friends here and over time Dillydale started feeling like home. Now I know you are only here for a week," he continued. "But maybe we can try to make it feel more like home while you're here. Would you like that?"

Little Miss Aloof's spirits rose. "Oh yes!" she replied. "I'd like that very much. Thank you!" As best as she could, without undoing her seatbelt, she reached over and gave her uncle a hug.

* * *

Little Miss Aloof looked into the crystal clear water and watched as a school of fish swam beneath the boat. It's been so long since she been fishing that she forgot how beautiful and peaceful it was.

Suddenly thoughts of her mother flashed in her mind and she needed to distract herself before she was too depressed to have any fun on this trip. She turned to her uncle. "You got bait?" she asked.

He blinked at her. "Of course I got bait," he answered, holding up a bucket of dirt and worms.

 _Yes, of course._ She sighed to herself. _What a stupid question to ask!_ She had just wanted to get her mind off her mother and just asked the first thing she thought of.

Embarrassed, she leaned over the back of the boat and stared down into the water. A nudge made her look up at her uncle. He smiled at her. "What would make Dillydale seem more homey to you?"

Little Miss Aloof thought for a moment. Finally she decided. "Music," she said.

"Music?" Mr. Grumpy echoed, blinking at her.

She nodded. "Music is great. It's so powerful. In only a few words it can make you happy or sad. I wanted to bring my phone with me, but father said I needed to talk to people." With a sigh, she turned to look down at the water.

"Music. Hmm…" Mr. Grumpy picked up his fishing rod, reached into the bucket and pulled out a worm, baiting his pole. He threw the line into the water. "Music you say?"

"Yeah," Little Miss Aloof murmured.

For a moment Mr. Grumpy was silent. "After fishing, I have somewhere to take you," he finally said.

Little Miss Aloof looked at him. Where did her uncle want to take her? she wondered.

* * *

Usually when Mr. Grumpy fished, he kept them and had them for dinner that night, but Little Miss Aloof insisted on letting them go, and Mr. Grumpy agreed. He was putting in serious effort to get his niece to like him. Around noon, he decided it was time to return to the docks. He tied up his boat and guided Little Miss Aloof back to his car.

"Where are we going?" she asked him.

He just smiled at her and patted her head. _She's going to love this,_ he told himself as he started his car and drove away from the docks.

Little Miss Aloof stared eagerly out the window like she was trying to figure out where he was taking her. Suddenly she gasped, which caused him to step on the breaks.

"What?" he exclaimed, turning to her urgently. Was she hurt? Then he saw what she was staring at and sighed. "Oh," he murmured, realizing that she was excited, not in pain. He pulled up beside the best friends and rolled down his niece's window.

She stuck out her head. "Hey, Mr. Small!" she greeted the orange Mr. Man. She blinked up at the larger one. "Hello, Mr. Nosy," she said less enthusiastic.

"Oh, hello there, Miss. Aloof." Mr. Small smiled up at her. "What have you and your uncle been doing today?"

Little Miss Aloof glanced at Mr. Grumpy. "We went fishing, and now he's taking me somewhere. He won't tell me where though." She frowned slightly.

Mr. Nosy's eyes lit up. "Can we come, too?" he asked. "I just love a good mystery!"

Mr. Small laughed at what his best friend said.

Mr. Grumpy groaned. "It's not a mystery. It's a surprise, and I want to take Miss. Aloof there, alone."

"Oh." Mr. Nosy sounded disappointed, and Mr. Small tried to comfort him.

Sighing, Mr. Grumpy rolled his eyes. "Fine," he started saying, and before he could finish, the back door opened and the best friends hopped in. "You can come," he murmured unnecessarily as they had already belted up.

"I'm glad you are coming, too," Little Miss Aloof said to Mr. Small as they started driving down the road again. "I missed yo-"

Mr. Grumpy interrupted what his niece was saying, suddenly getting a bad feeling. "How about we listen to the radio?" he suggested, glancing at Little Miss Aloof. "You said you like music huh?"

"You like music?" Mr. Nosy asked her. "What kind?"

Little Miss Aloof shrugged. "All kinds," she replied. "I think my uncle is taking me somewhere that has to do with music."

"Music?" Mr. Nosy glanced out the window. He was silent for a moment, and then gasped loudly. "I know where we are going!"

Quickly Mr. Grumpy stepped on the breaks again and reached back to cover the nosy Mr. Man's mouth. He glared at him. "No, you don't," he growled. Mr. Nosy blinked, surprise flashing in his eyes. Mr. Grumpy tried to give him a look that should have told him not to say where they were going, but Mr. Nosy didn't seem to understand. Mr. Small did though.

"Mr. Grumpy wants to surprise his niece, Nose," he told his best friend. "Let's not ruin that for him."

Mr. Nosy pulled away from Mr. Grumpy. "Oh, okay. Sorry."

Mr. Grumpy shook his head, annoyed. Then he started driving again. "I know this Little Miss," he said to his niece. "She's nice and fun, _and_ she likes music, too." He glanced at Little Miss Aloof, satisfied when the huge smile appeared on her face.

"What's her name?" she asked.

Mr. Grumpy parked on the side of the street and gestured to the stereo shaped house. "Miss. Music."

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